Sale: Triton VIII, Lot: 645. Estimate $25000.  Closing Date: Monday, 10 January 2005.  Sold For $30000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of BAKTRIA. Eukratides I. Circa 171-145 BC. AV Stater (8.18 gm, 12h). Diademed and draped bust right, wearing helmet adorned with bull's horn and ear / BASILEWS MEGALOU EUKRATIDOU, the Dioskouroi on rearing horses right, holding palms and spears; monogram in lower right field. Al. N. Oikonomedes, “The Gold Coinage of the Indo-Greek King Eukratides I (171-155 B.C.)," North American Journal of Numismatics 7.6 (1968), Group B; F.L. Holt, “Eukratides of Baktria,” Coins, Cults, History and Inscriptions III: Studies in Honor of Al. N. Oikonomedes, pp. 72-76; Bopearachchi Série 5 var. (unlisted monogram); cf. Bopearachchi Série 7A (drachm); cf. SNG ANS 463 (monogram); MIG Type 176 var (unlisted monogram); Triton I (2-3 December 1997), lot 618 (same dies); MACW -. Superb EF. Extremely rare, the fifth published example with this reverse monogram. ($25,000)

Only four other examples of this reverse monogram have appeared on the public market: Giessener Münzhandlung 64 (11 October 1993), lot 251 (same dies); Numismatic Fine Arts XXXIII (3 May 1994), lot 316 (same obverse die); Tkalec (28 October 1994), lot 136 (same obverse die; same reverse die as Numismatic Fine Arts); Triton I (2-3 December 1997), lot 618 (same dies). The close die link (single obverse die and two reverse dies) indicates that this issue was very small and apparently struck for a special occasion, though that occasion remains, as yet, unknown.